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“Make a u-turn when possible,” urged the navigation as it attempted to get us back on track toward the Hungarian capital of Budapest. As we whipped Volkswagen’s all-new 2009 Tiguan around, we got an early indication of its turning radius (tight) and electromechanical steering (quick and light at low speeds). A few zigzags later, we were finally pointed in the right direction.

Positioned as the Touareg’s scrappy, smaller sibling, The Tiguan is arriving late to the crossover party. When it goes on sale in May next year with pricing starting in the mid-20s, the Tiguan will join an already crowded field littered with established offerings including the Honda CR-V and Toyota‘s RAV4. But unlike others in its class, there’s not a lot of “cute” in this ‘ute. The Tiguan strikes a more athletic, traditional SUV-style pose. Though it’s based in large part on the latest version of VW‘s Golf/Rabbit, the Tiguan in no way looks or feels like a Golf behind the wheel — it’s been engineered with the goal of becoming the most capable and satisfying small crossover available for the U.S. market.

Underscoring the vehicle’s importance to VW, scribes from some 50 countries were shuttled in and out of Budapest for the European press launch. We piloted a not-for-U.S.-spec, 4Motion-equipped Tiguan fitted with the automaker’s intriguing new 1.4-liter Twincharger engine. Our tester, equipped with VW’s slick-shifting six-speed manual, proved agile and carlike on the roads around Budapest. At 75 mph, some wind noise crept in during our miles on the Hungarian highways, though not much. When we needed to hit the skids, the Tiguan’s four-wheel discs with ABS slowed the vehicle with little drama.

The Twincharger uses turbo and supercharging to help boost performance, and the variant we drove has solid numbers of 150 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque. Despite the induction tricks, the engine did struggle out of the gate, but once in the sweet spot above three grand, it moved the Tiguan more than adequately and was quiet and responsive at higher speeds. No matter, though, we won’t be getting the Twincharger or any other of the multiple engine variants, at least not at launch. U.S. models will come ashore with VW’s tried and true, 200-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo. We’ve been told the automaker’s 2.0-liter turbodiesel (set to make its U.S. debut in the 2008 Jetta) is all but assured as an eventual option.

During our first stopover, we had some time to climb in, out, and around the Tiguan. While the cabin isn’t huge, it is well-screwed together, with an expanse of soft-touch material covering the dash. The seats are comfortable and nicely bolstered, and the second row’s 60/40 bench features adjustable seatback angles and a drop-down armrest/beverage holder. The passenger seat folds flat for additional stowage if needed. The Tiguan’s radio, nav, and HVAC controls are easy to operate and numerous storage areas dot the cabin, although we were less than impressed with the look of the panel surrounding the center stack — it came off as a cheap bit in an otherwise nice-looking cabin. There is also a huge, panoramic glass roof option that opens up the cabin to the sky.

Despite our early issues, VW’s optional, redesigned touch-screen navigation is a major improvement and features a neat 3D pullback effect. Other interesting techno bits include an electronic park brake with a hill-holder feature that we found came in handy when using the six-speed manual, a backup camera, and a park-assist function that automatically aids in parallel-parking maneuvers. Of course, many of these options will likely push that mid-20s pricing into the 30s fairly quickly, but they’re the kinds of features you’ll normally find on vehicles far higher up the luxury vehicle food chain.

On the way out of town the roads got twisty, and the Tiguan predictably rolled around some into and out of wide sweepers, but spirited driving proved more than possible thanks in part to the vehicle’s MacPherson front and four-link rear suspension setup. An electronic system that will allow for specific tuning settings is in the pipeline.

Arriving at the off-road course, we hit some ruts, angles, and mild climbs designed to highlight the vehicle’s dirt-road capabilities. We made the runs in a Tiguan equipped with the 2.0-liter diesel and the Track & Field package, which sports a facelifted front end that allows a 28-degree approach angle. The package also comes with an off-road mode, a setting that optimizes and activates numerous systems including hill decent and hill climb to help the driver better navigate up, down, and around obstacles and rough terrain.

If the Tiguan takes off in the States, we may see the 28-degree mug and the off-road feature at some point, but it won’t be available at launch. Instead, we’ll get the base, S trim similar to what VW calls Trend & Fun in Europe, along with the up-level SE trim, aka Sport & Style. Front-drive and 4Motion models will be available. VW’s latest-generation 4Motion system uses a Haldex clutch mounted at the rear axle that keeps 90 percent of the power to the front wheels during normal driving and moves it to the other wheels when the system deems necessary. The 4Motion system will be available only with the six-speed automatic for the U.S. The Tiguan will not come with VW’s DSG as a transmission option.

It’s an attractive package overall, but it’s likely going to take some doing on VW’s part for the Tiguan to gain traction in the marketplace. The good news for VW: After our drive, we’re convinced it has the chops to compete.

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2009 Volkswagen Tiguan News and Reviews

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